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Chapter 18

Maggie felt like someone had dropped something on her from a great height. Her head hurt, her throat was tight, and her chest felt like it was being squeezed. What was going on? Ben was the thief and vandal? How was that possible?

And what was this about Adam being the one who got Ben into trouble years ago? He was the reason Ben ended up in the army? That couldn't be true, surely.

But then Maggie had seen the look on Adam's face, the expression in his eyes telling her everything. He had done that. Adam had been the thief all along, the one who had put her brother into the position he was in now. And he had never said a word.

Maggie felt nauseous and cold. How could she have fallen in love with the person who turned her brother's life upside-down?

"Maggie, if you would let me explain …" Adam began, but Maggie shook her head.

"I can't, Your Grace. How am I supposed to know that you're genuine in what you say or whether you're saying it to appease me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Maybe because you're an aristocrat?" Maggie snapped back. "You like to toy with people's emotions, don't you? That's what you've been doing with me?"

Adam looked crestfallen.

"Why would I do that with you, Maggie? I've never toyed with you."

"How do I know that now? After what you've just said, you could be saying anything to make me feel better." Maggie wrapped her arms around her middle and shuddered. "Although I don't think you could make anything better right now. Not after what I've just heard."

"Do you believe me about your brother?"

"How do you know it's him? That valet could just be telling you to take the blame off him."

"He's not completely blameless. At least he's being truthful for the first time."

Maggie didn't believe it. Not completely. A part of her wanted to believe Adam about her brother – Ben was capable of doing something like that – but she didn't want to believe that about him. Then there was the issue with him, having been the one who got Ben into trouble in the first place. Adam had been the thief all those years ago? How was that possible?

She didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Look, Maggie …" Adam stepped towards her. "I know this is a shock for you, but please believe me. I know it's your brother who targeted my family …"

"And what about you?" Maggie snapped. "Who were you targeting when you were stealing from the docks? And why didn't you say anything at the time instead of letting innocent people take the blame?"

Adam hesitated, as if struggling to find the words. Maggie didn't want to hear any of that. She stepped away from him.

"I need to get back to my duties, Your Grace," she said stiffly. "I don't think we've got anything more to say for now."

"Maggie …"

"Don't." She sidestepped him as he reached for her. "I just … don't."

Ducking around him, Maggie hurried away. She needed to get back down the stairs and into the kitchens before anyone saw her. There she could collapse in a corner and try to figure out what was going on. There was too much going around in her head, and Maggie had no idea what to do or say.

She was at the top of the stairs to the kitchens when she heard a snapping tone behind her.

"Maggie!"

Her heart sinking, Maggie turned. Baroness Atterbury was storming towards her, looking marvellous in a gold gown that flowed out around her. She took off her mask, her expression furious as she strode towards Maggie.

"What are you doing out of your room?" she demanded. "I thought you were to stay in there tonight and not come down."

"But you need all the servants working, My Lady," Maggie said quickly. "I wasn't going to shirk my duties."

"But the door was locked." The baroness narrowed her eyes. "How did you get out?"

Maggie didn't answer that. She wasn't about to get Mrs Crawford into trouble. Baroness Atterbury sniffed.

"I don't think that matters now. Right now, I want you to go up to your room and pack your belongings."

"What?"

"You're dismissed. I want you out of this house tonight."

Maggie had known this would be coming, but not like this. She stared at the older woman.

"You're really dismissing me? After what your daughter did to me?"

"What my daughter did has nothing to do with it. If you didn't want to be put in your place, you should have been in your place to begin with."

That was ridiculous logic. Maggie couldn't believe what she was hearing. This woman was condoning her daughter's abuse.

At least she could stand up for herself now. She wasn't in the woman's employ anymore. She drew herself up and glared at the baroness.

"I should have guessed that you would allow your daughter to abuse your servants. She had to have learned it from someone, and your husband is too nice for that."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Lady Phoebe is a horrible girl who thinks it's permissible to abuse the people around her. She's rude, unkind, and she doesn't care. You think someone like that will manage in Society with an attitude like that?" Maggie knew she was talking too much but couldn't stop herself once she got going. "Even if she shows a polite side to everyone, her ugly side is going to come out, and nobody will want to be around her."

Baroness Atterbury's nostrils flared.

"How dare you speak about my daughter like that? She is a perfectly fine young lady!"

"Do you call someone who locks up a maid in her room a fine young lady? Because I certainly don't!"

"You should know your place, Maggie! And you messing around with a duke is certainly not knowing your place. Especially when you know he will ask my daughter to marry him."

Maggie took a deep breath before she really lost her temper. They were going to draw a scene if they weren't careful, and her voice was getting louder.

"I was not messing around with the Duke of Banbury, My Lady. I was merely doing what he asked me to do."

"You could have fooled me. What duke would ask a simple servant girl to help him out with a problem he could handle himself? We're not stupid!"

Maggie didn't make a comment on that. She focused on the latter remark.

"Anyway, how do you know the Duke of Banbury will ask your daughter to marry him? They barely know each other, and I haven't heard about any courtship happening."

Baroness Atterbury sniffed.

"It's going to happen sooner or later. We are sure about it. The duke will be talking to Baron Atterbury about courting our daughter as a mere formality."

"Given how Lady Phoebe behaves, I don't think you should consider that a formality," Maggie snapped. "The only way she would get married to him is if she managed to do something medical books haven't been able to figure out when it comes to her personality."

She knew she had gone a step too far with that, but she didn't care. She was being unfairly dismissed because of a rude, ungrateful girl who had taken to lashing out at Maggie because she wasn't getting what she wanted. Maggie had come to this job as a maid, not a whipping girl.

Baroness Atterbury looked furious, breathing heavily, with her chest heaving. She looked like she was going to scream, but she kept that down.

"Get out," she hissed. "I want you out of here, you little … you are not welcome in this house again. Not after the way you've spoken to me."

"Don't worry, I was planning on resigning, anyway, My Lady," Maggie said stiffly, dusting herself down. "I'm not about to stay here and be abused any longer by your daughter. That was not part of my job description, and if you won't do anything about her, then I don't want to be around."

"There is nothing wrong with my daughter!" Baroness Atterbury cried.

"If you can't see that, then you chose the wrong people to teach her how to behave." Maggie turned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, My Lady? I have to get my belongings and leave. I have things to do, and none involve talking to you."

The older woman huffed.

"I cannot believe how much of a rude woman you are, Maggie. I have no idea how you stayed on this long."

Maggie shot her a hard stare.

"You're seeing someone who's been pushed to the edge of their patience. Your daughter has pushed me to this, and I'm not going to take it anymore. You can find someone else for her to bully. You won't find anyone with the patience to be around that little brat."

She walked down the steps towards the kitchens, her heart racing and trying not to cry. The confrontation had fired her up to the point of tears. She felt sick as well.

All she could do right now was pack her things and get out of here. Away from her former employers and from the dreadful Phoebe Cavendish.

Away from Adam, and the shocking revelation that he was the reason Ben's life ended up the way it was.

#

"Are you alright, Your Grace?"

Adam looked up and saw the man across from him, watching him with a concerned expression. He had almost forgotten that he was in there. Adam cleared his throat and sat up.

"I'm fine," he croaked, only to cough and try again. "Fine. Nothing's wrong."

"Are you sure about that?" Lord Bailey's frown deepened. "You've been out of sorts since you told me about this mess. I understand that this is a hard situation for you …"

"You have no idea," Adam muttered loudly enough that George glanced at him. "I hate that we must do this, but it has to be done. Ben Hay has been committing crimes against my family, and he needs to be stopped. I just want him to be held accountable."

"And you say this is because of what you did in the past?" Lord Bailey pressed. "When you were stealing supplies off the docks?"

Adam shifted in his seat. Beside him, George looked uncomfortable. They knew they would need to tell the local magistrate why Ben had committed his crimes, and it had been the most awkward twenty minutes Adam had ever experienced.

While Lord Bailey was a genial, fair man with an open mind, he didn't approve of what Adam and George had done, even if there were good intentions behind it. It was still a crime, and they had got away with it. Adam had a feeling that he would have to face consequences of his own eventually.

Right now, the focus should be on Ben, but Adam could see the hypocrisy here.

"If we'd known that someone else had been blamed for what we did, we would have stepped forward and admitted to it ourselves," Adam insisted.

"Would you?"

"Of course! But we heard nothing about others getting arrested. We just found it a bit too risky and decided to stop after a while. Nobody said a word about the culprits being found."

Lord Bailey arched an eyebrow. He looked skeptical.

"It's the truth, My Lord!" George protested.

"I'll have to believe that for now, I guess," Lord Bailey grunted. "But I have a feeling that you wouldn't have admitted to your crimes if you had known. The person you are now would have done so, but the person you were back then …"

Adam winced. That felt a little too close to the mark. The magistrate grunted and sat back, smoothing his coat over his rotund belly.

"It would have been better if you had owned up to it back then. You and your friends are wealthy, and while you would have been given serious scolding by your parents, at least you wouldn't have seen the inside of a jail cell. You would have paid a hefty fine and gone on your way. Instead, Ben Hay and his friends got the brunt of the law and had to pay the price in their own way." Lord Bailey shook his head. "I'm sure he's got a few more … colourful words for you right now."

"I wouldn't blame him," Adam murmured.

He had not expected that to be the reason for Ben doing what he did, nor did he realize that Ben had found out what Adam and his friends had done. Thinking about it, Adam could understand why Ben would be furious at how he got away with a crime for which he was punished. But to steal from him and vandalize his property? That wasn't going to make it any better.

Then again, given the rage Ben would have been holding onto, it shouldn't have been a surprise.

"I'm beginning to wish we hadn't done this," George muttered in Adam's ear, only to give an embarrassed chuckle when Lord Bailey glared at him.

"Do you think what you did was right, sir?" the magistrate demanded. "You committed a crime. You might have done it with the best intentions but still did it. And you let someone else take the fall, whether you knew about it or not. Things would have been better if you had owned up to it. But you weren't thinking back then, were you?"

Neither Adam nor George said anything to that. It felt like they were children being scolded. And Lord Bailey was right. The older man sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his bald head.

"However, while I understand Mr Hay and his motives, he still committed a crime. And something of yours is still missing. So we need to find him and get this sorted."

"You're going to put him in jail, aren't you?" Adam asked quietly.

"Given what he's done, do you think I should let him walk around without any repercussions? He has to face the charges like anyone else. I might have some sympathy for him, but if he doesn't turn himself in and own up, it will end up being harder than it should be."

It would be harder, but not in the way Lord Bailey thought. Adam couldn't stop thinking about Maggie and how she would struggle with this. It was bad enough that she had to find out about Adam's crimes the way she did but to know that it was her brother Adam had inadvertently ruined must make it worse. She wouldn't be able to look at him now.

God, why was he so focused on how he would look to Maggie? That was selfish, much like he had been when he had been stealing supplies from the docked ships. This was about doing the right thing, and Adam needed to do the right thing himself with his part.

Ben needed to own up to it all and return what he had stolen. Adam was sure that he still had the family ring somewhere; thankfully, none of Morrison's contacts had heard of it being sold. So that meant that Ben still had it.

Adam had no idea how this was going to play out. The family would be shocked and furious, especially after Adam had been so kind towards them. They wouldn't believe that Ben could do such a thing. Even though Maggie had heard it herself, she still wouldn't believe him.

Adam understood why, but it would still hurt knowing the woman he loved didn't take him at his word. She would turn her back on him and side with her brother, which she was entitled to do. Adam would be devastated, and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Focus on the more important part of this. Find Ben and get him to admit to his crimes. If he does that, it will be easier for him.

And what if he doesn't? And the family dismiss you?

I'm going to have to cross that bridge when I come to it. And that bridge is coming up very quickly.

Beside him, George shifted in his seat with more discomfort. He had been the one who said they needed to make this right, but that bravado had been fading away the longer they were in Lord Bailey's presence. The man could make people feel awful for the smallest of things.

Soon, Adam saw the scenery becoming more familiar, and then they came out of the woods, and he saw Maggie's family farm down the hill. Things looked very busy; the sheep were plentiful in the fields and were being herded by a couple of dogs.

When they entered the farmyard, Mr Hay and two of his employees were getting supplies down from the back of a cart. Mr Hay was the first to see them, and he approached them, wiping his hands on a dirty handkerchief. He looked surprised as Adam got out first.

"Your Grace." He stopped and bowed. "Forgive me; I had no idea you were visiting us. If I'd known …"

"This isn't a social call, I'm afraid, Mr Hay." Adam nodded at Lord Bailey as he climbed out, his boots squelching in the mud. "This is Lord Bailey, the local magistrate."

"I'm aware of who Lord Bailey is." Mr Hay gave the other man a nod before turning back to Adam, his expression confused. "Why is he here? What's going on?"

"Is your son here?"

"Ben? He's not here."

Adam fought back the annoyance. He had hoped to see the man face to face again. He glanced at Lord Bailey, who seemed to know it was his cue to take over. He addressed Mr Hay solemnly.

"Mr Hay, the Duke of Banbury, has discovered with proof that your son is responsible for the damage to his property, along with stealing his horse and the family ring. Do you know anything about that?"

Mr Hay's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.

"What … he … are you sure about this?"

"I'm afraid there is irrefutable proof that he's the one who committed the crimes against the duke." The magistrate's tone was calm and even, something Adam wished he could be right now. "I need to speak to him."

"Is he going to be arrested?"

"He'll be taken into custody, yes."

Mr Hay's jaw tightened, his expression freezing into one of upset. He straightened up.

"Well, forgive me, My Lord, but I'm afraid I can't help you here."

"Can't?" Adam couldn't stop himself from asking.

Icy eyes turned to him, and Adam wanted to get back into the carriage. God, he hadn't seen an expression like that since his father.

"I can't help you," Mr Hay said stiffly. "Ben went out last night, and I have no idea where he is."

"We need to speak to him, Mr Hay," Lord Bailey said.

"Haven't you done enough, Your Grace?" Maggie's father still spoke to Adam, staring hard at him. "My daughter has lost her position with the Atterbury family, and now you want to accuse my son of more crimes he didn't commit?"

"What?" Adam frowned. "Maggie lost her job?"

"Last night. She came home alone and in the dark, crying because of what happened at the ball. Both with you accusing her brother and because of how she was dismissed." Mr Hay folded his arms. "If you want to look at someone who's committed a crime, you should look at Baron Atterbury's family. The abuse they put my daughter through because of that bratty girl is unbelievable. Why aren't you talking to them about it when my daughter did nothing wrong?"

Adam hadn't expected that. Maggie had been dismissed. He had tried to find her after she ran off but couldn't, mostly because Lady Phoebe caught him and tried to engage him in conversation. Then Adam had left after deciding that remaining after what had happened was not a good idea. Had Maggie left about the same time?

If only he had stayed around.

"We can discuss the situation with your daughter another time if you have a complaint about abuse, Mr Hay," Lord Bailey said as Adam reeled from the news about Maggie. "Right now, the important thing is to find your son. Regardless of whether you think he's innocent or not, we still need to talk to him."

"Well, I don't know where he is. And he's certainly not here."

From Mr Hay's tone, he would rather that they left. Adam couldn't blame him for that. Lord Bailey gave him a gentle smile.

"How about we talk about this inside, Mr Hay? It's best that we don't have this conversation out in the open, don't you think?"

Maggie's father frowned, glancing at Adam before nodding briskly.

"Fine. I'll speak with you, Lord Bailey. Alone, though."

Adam didn't protest. He wasn't about to argue about all this when it was already uncomfortable. He just wished he didn't feel like a little boy caught with his hand in the sweet jar. Had Ben told his father about what Adam had done? Did he know the whole story?

He wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

A movement behind Mr Hay as he and Lord Bailey walked away caught Adam's eye, and he saw Maggie hovering in the cottage doorway. She looked miserable. Even across the yard, Adam could see that her eyes were red and shimmering with tears, her bottom lip quivering, and her cheeks were pale. He had never seen her like this, and it made Adam want to go to her and pull her into his arms.

But he didn't. He stayed where he was.

"Adam?" George touched his arm, his voice low. "Adam, there's nothing you can do here. Ben Hay isn't here, and staring at Maggie isn't going to help."

He was right, but Adam wished he wasn't. He couldn't bring himself to walk away so easily, especially when Maggie stared at him before turning and going back into the cottage without a word.

With a heavy heart, Adam allowed George to lead him away, and they got back into the carriage. Slumping on the seat, Adam stared out the window at the fields of sheep, wondering if things would ever get better.

From how things were going, he didn't think that would happen.

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